The Alternative to Mysticism

Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.

–1 Peter 2:2

Some Christians chase after mystical experiences for the same reason people ride roller coasters: they crave the exhilaration of those ups and downs. But God doesn’t want your spiritual life to be characterized by ups and downs; He wants your spiritual life to be characterized by consistent, measurable growth.

We can learn how to have the kind of spiritual growth God desires by studying what the mystics who had infliltrated the Colossian church were not doing. In Colossians 2:19, Paul said they weren’t “holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”

The first key to spiritual growth is to hold fast to the head. The Bible says Christians are members of the body of Christ, and Jesus Christ is the head. If you want consistent spiritual growth, then your life should be Christ-centered. Instead of taking your stand on visions or supernatural experiences, take your stand on the written Word of God, which is the perfect revelation of the living Word of God, Jesus Christ.

The second key to spiritual growth is to be joined together with other believers. Paul said the entire body grows from the head, “being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments” (Colossians 2:19). The parts of your physical body are connected not only to your head but also to other parts. What happens if one part becomes disconnected from the rest of your body? Eventually, it withers and dies. In the same way, if we become disconnected from the body of Christ, we wither spiritually. The local church was God’s idea not only to further His kingdom work but to provide for your spiritual growth. It is impossible for you to grow as a Christian without being an active part of a local church. But when you stay connected to the head and the other members of the body, Paul said you will “[grow] with a growth which is from God” (v. 19).

The way to measure your spiritual growth is not by whether you’ve had certain experiences but by whether you’re making progress in your relationship with God. Are you obeying God in every part of your life? Is your life characterized by humility and a desire to serve others? Are you investing your money, time, and effort in the eternal rather than the temporal? That’s the measuring stick of a productive spiritual life. Don’t let anybody rob you of the joy God wants you to have by telling you that you need some additional experience. If you have trusted in Christ as your Savior, you have everything you need for a victorious life.

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Today’s devotion is adapted from “Hating Religion and Loving Jesus” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2012.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.